Field of Dreams
If you build it, will they come?
The right expectations are needed before starting an e-commerce web site. You need to have a plan on how you will promote your site to get a return on your investment.
Having an e-commerce web site is a lot like having a brick and mortar store. Yes, a shopping cart is a fraction of the price, but you still need to have a plan on how you are going to get people to your online store and buy your products. Unfortunately, customers do not just magically show up.
Pre-planning
Before even building an e-commerce site, pre-planning and research on your target audience are needed. Here are some things to consider:
How do you pre-plan?
You can send out surveys and review other e-commerce stores in your industry to see what they are offering. If you have current clients, ask them if they would be interested in using online purchasing.
Start Small
When building an e-commerce site, you need to start small and work your way up. E-commerce sites do involve expenditures to set up and maintain so you want to make sure that you get a return on your investment as quickly as possible. Start out with your "core" features, or the bare minimum you need for it to be worthwhile having an online store. Clients are not going to buy from you because you have the most bells and whistles. They ARE going to buy from you if you give promotions, specials, bring in new products, and it is easy for them to buy.
Then you can grow your shopping cart to have more features that allow you to better manage your inventory and increase the buying experience for your clients.
Promotion
The key to a successful e-commerce site is promoting it. You need to be able to get people to your web site and give them a reason to buy from you. Some ways of doing this are:
In short opening an online store can be just as much work as opening a physical store and should not be taken lightly. In order to be successful it is recommend that you do research and planning and have strategies in place so that you don't waste you time and money on a business venture that was doomed from the beginning.
SonicSpider LLC | 760.631.3085
Having an e-commerce web site is a lot like having a brick and mortar store. Yes, a shopping cart is a fraction of the price, but you still need to have a plan on how you are going to get people to your online store and buy your products. Unfortunately, customers do not just magically show up.
Pre-planning
Before even building an e-commerce site, pre-planning and research on your target audience are needed. Here are some things to consider:
- How many other e-commerce sites already exist in your industry?
- How unique is your product?
- Is your target audience likely to buy online or do they prefer to buy in-person?
- How much money can you spend on promoting your web site?
- Who is your target audience - Is it local, national or international?
How do you pre-plan?
You can send out surveys and review other e-commerce stores in your industry to see what they are offering. If you have current clients, ask them if they would be interested in using online purchasing.
Start Small
When building an e-commerce site, you need to start small and work your way up. E-commerce sites do involve expenditures to set up and maintain so you want to make sure that you get a return on your investment as quickly as possible. Start out with your "core" features, or the bare minimum you need for it to be worthwhile having an online store. Clients are not going to buy from you because you have the most bells and whistles. They ARE going to buy from you if you give promotions, specials, bring in new products, and it is easy for them to buy.
Then you can grow your shopping cart to have more features that allow you to better manage your inventory and increase the buying experience for your clients.
Promotion
The key to a successful e-commerce site is promoting it. You need to be able to get people to your web site and give them a reason to buy from you. Some ways of doing this are:
- Email Campaigns
- Direct Mail Campaigns
- Rotating Specials - Create interest and return visits
- Press Releases
- Articles and Newsletters - Be the expert!
In short opening an online store can be just as much work as opening a physical store and should not be taken lightly. In order to be successful it is recommend that you do research and planning and have strategies in place so that you don't waste you time and money on a business venture that was doomed from the beginning.
SonicSpider LLC | 760.631.3085